Stretcher-frame



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H. P. GRAY.

STRBTUHER FRAME.

No. 371,934. Patented Oct. 25, 1887.

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HENRY F. GRAY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

STRETCHER FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,934, dated October25, 1887.

Serial No. 241,556. (No model.)

adapted to bear against the rear side of the To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY F. GRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ,of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stretcher-Frames, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of frames over which artistscanvas or other similar material is stretched, and particularly relatesto the improvement of my former invention, filed April 18, 1887, andallowed; and the objects of my invention are to produce a simple, neat,and effective device of this class, by means of which the sides and endsof the frame may readily and easily be separated to stretch the canvasthereon and frame, said pieces being mitercd at their ends in the usualmanner to form a miter-joint at each corner of the frame, as shown. Thefront surface of each of the framepieces a adjoining one of its ends, iscut away to form a depression, b, therein in the form of an arc ofacirole and a curved shoulder c.

The formation and arrangement of each of the pieces a being alike, Iwill, for convenience, describe the upper end piece of the frame and itsconnection with one of the side pieces.

Formed in the depressed end of the piece a at the true center of saidpartially-circular depression I) is a vertical rounded hole, d, throughwhich is made to pass from the rear side a closely-fitting cylindricalmetallic operating pin or bolt, 6, provided with a square head, 0, saidhead being adapted to project forwardly until its front end is aboutflush with the front surface of the framepiece at, its front extensionbeing limitedby a circular flange formed about the base of the pin, and

frame-piece about the hole (Z. The rear end, e, of the pin projectsslightly outward from the rear side of the framepiece, and is formedsquare or nutshaped to facilitate its engagement with a wrench. on thefront end of the pin 6, and seated within the depression b,is ametallicdisk, f, said disk being of such thickness as to bring its front surfaceflush with the front surface of the frame-piece a. This disk f is ofsuch circumference and is mounted on the head of the pin 6 at suchdistance from the center of the. former as to admit of its being turnedto a position admitting of the joining of the mi-- tered parts of theframe. As described in my former application, above referred to, thereis made to project from the end of the piece at, below the surface ofthe depression Z), dowelpins h, which are adapted to enter correspondingholes formed in the adjoining piece.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts of the frame beingjoined and con nected by means of the dowel-pins, the canvas i is thensecured to the front sides of the frame pieces in the usual manner. Twoadjoining parts of the frame may then be easily and gradually separatedto stretch the canvas the desired distance by fitting a wrench over therear square end of the pin 0, and turning the same, thus causing thedisk f to revolve and press against the end of the adjoining framepieceto separate the parts, as shown in the upper and lower left-hand cornersof the frame in Fig. 1. of the drawings.

While the parts are being separated, as above described, it will be seenthat the dowelpins will form guides on which the moving frame-pieces mayslide. It will also be seen that by the means above-described an equalmovement of a side and end piece of the frame is attained'at the sametime that the tendency of the j ointed parts of stretcher-frames topinch toward each other at their front edges and leave a gap at the rearisobviated by having the separatingdisks bearing against the ends of theframe-pieces near their front surfaces.

While the objects of the invention herein mentioned are similar to thosementioned in my former application, it will be observed that they areattained by a more simple and inexpensive device,

Mounted "eccentrically Having now fully described my invention, I theoperating-pin e, carrying the eccentricailywhat I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters mounted disk f, substantially as and for the Patent,is purpose specified.

In a stretcher-frame, the combination of the 5 frame-pieces a, eachhaving'a depression, I),

pin-hole d, and dowel-pins h, adapted to enter 1 dowel-holes in theadjoining frame-piece, with HENRY F. GRAY. Witnesses:

E. O. IRVINE, F. H. SHEPHERD.

